Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head and injection valves for injecting fuel. The cylinder head has seats for the injection valves.
In internal combustion engines with fuel injection valves which have an asymmetrical injection jet, the relative position of the injection jet in relation to a chamber in which a fuel-air mixture is formed, such as a combustion chamber in the case of direct injection or a chamber in the inlet port, is extremely important for providing a correct fuel-air mixture. Even if the injection valve is rotated in its seat just by a minimal amount about its longitudinal axis away from an optimum position, this can result in a considerably impaired mixture formation, and hence to a corresponding deterioration in engine functions such as power output, pollutant emission and fuel consumption. During the assembly of such internal combustion engines it is therefore necessary, when inserting the injection valves into the respective seats on the cylinder head, to precisely align a position with respect to a rotation about a longitudinal axis of the injection valve. This, however, requires an increased outlay during assembly and is costly.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an internal combustion engine which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known internal combustion engines of this general type and which results in a simplification and cost reduction in the assembly of internal combustion engines having injection valves.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an internal combustion engine, including:
a fuel injection valve defining a longitudinal axis;
a cylinder head with a housing having a seat for accommodating the fuel injection valve;
the seat being embodied as a first alignment device; and
the fuel injection valve having a second alignment device configured to interact with the first alignment device such that, when the fuel injection valve is accommodated in the seat, the fuel injection valve is aligned in the seat with respect to a rotation about the longitudinal axis of the injection valve.
In other words, in accordance with the invention there is provided, an internal combustion engine, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a cylinder head and injection valves for fuel, seats for each of the injection valves being provided in the housing of the cylinder head, wherein devices directly formed by the seats and interacting with a respective injection valve are configured such that when accommodating the injection valve in the seat, an alignment of the injection valve in the seat is predetermined with respect to rotation about a longitudinal axis of the injection valve.
This has the advantage that in the case of injection valves with an asymmetrical injection jet, a desired, optimum position of the injection jet in relation to the combustion chamber (in the case of direct injection) or in relation to a mixture formation chamber in an inlet port (in the case of inlet manifold injection) is automatically ensured when inserting the injection valve into the seat on the cylinder head, wherein no additional adjustments are required for this purpose. This greatly simplifies the assembly of the internal combustion engine.
According to another feature of the invention, the first alignment device and the second alignment device interact mechanically with one another.
For example, the seats and the fuel injection valves are arranged in such a way that fuel is injected directly into the respective combustion chambers of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.
According to a preferred embodiment, the interacting alignment devices include a fin on the injection valve and a matching slot at the seat. The fin is for example formed on an arm for a connector system. The arm can be formed as a radial arm and the connector system can be a plug connector for connecting the injection valve to a fuel injection valve controller.
According to another feature of the invention, the cylinder head has a flange, in which the seats for injection valves are at least partially formed.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an internal combustion engine having injection valves, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.